History has been made in the Church of England with the appointment of Dame Sarah Mullally as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury.
The former Chief Nursing Officer for England is now Archbishop-designate, awaiting a formal legal ceremony that will confirm her as the Church’s most senior leader. She succeeds Justin Welby, who stepped down last year following widespread criticism of his handling of the Church’s worst child abuse scandal.
Dame Sarah, now the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, takes on the role at a turbulent time for the Church, which continues to wrestle with safeguarding crises, deep divisions over same-sex marriage, and declining attendance.
Acknowledging the weight of her new responsibility, she expressed both humility and faith: “I know this is a huge responsibility, but I approach it with a sense of peace and trust in God to carry me as He always has. At every stage of my journey—through my nursing career and ministry—I have learned to listen deeply, to bring people together, and to seek hope and healing.”
She added that her vision is for the Church to grow in confidence, boldly sharing the gospel and the love found in Jesus Christ while shaping communities across the country and the wider Anglican Communion.
Her appointment has been warmly welcomed both within the Church and beyond. Bishop Anthony Poggo, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, urged members worldwide to pray for her, while UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the Church as “part of the fabric of our communities” and wished Dame Sarah success in her historic role.